Today’s logistics and supply chain management students are practical idealists, people who want successful careers that draw on their knowledge, skills and talents while allowing them to make the world — and the workplace — a better place.

Winter provides a great advantage–time. The hustle and bustle of the holidays is over and colder weather prevails. There’s no better time to hit the books and amp up your knowledge of important logistics and supply chain management issues.

Are you thinking about pursuing a certificate or certification in the supply management profession to enhance your knowledge and improve your career possibilities? Here’s a checklist to get you started.

Faculty members from some of the nation’s leading logistics and supply chain education programs share their thoughts about how higher education is preparing tomorrow’s professionals for the challenges ahead.

Take your logistics and supply chain career to the next level by understanding how your skills can impact an organization, networking with other industry professionals, and continuing to develop critical skills.

Hiring challenges in the supply chain sector include attracting the best talent, developing leaders, and retaining high performers. To solve these issues, employers must step up and build training programs that instill passion, share purpose, provide clear leadership and promotion tracks, are authentic, and ultimately diminish turnover.

The supply management sector is becoming increasingly more strategic, requiring its professionals to develop new competencies while they are in the midst of busy careers. Here's how e-learning helps supply chain professionals stay competitive.

Supply chain logistics companies view veterans as a crucial pool of potential employees, and consequently they are using a range of methods to recruit and hire former members of the military for their workforces.

The St. Louis region offers an ideal transportation infrastructure to move goods, skilled labor to meet the peaks and valleys of industrial demand, and the availability of highly qualified IT personnel to manage staff and facilities.

Military outsourcing is good in concept but often problematic in practice for several reasons discussed in this article. Contracting for services year after year in support of multi-front contingency operations and train and assist missions, all with no clear end-dates in site, has the potential to be harmful to the “profession of arms” (a vocation comprised of experts certified in the ethical application of combat power, serving under civilian authority, entrusted to defend the Constitution and the rights and interests of the American people) and cost more than anticipated. This article will discuss why military outsourcing is currently problematic and explore why the military outsources mission-essential services. A comparison of similar outsourcing incentives associated with both military and manufacturing industrial complexes is discussed, along with some advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing with these sectors. The article concludes with a prediction as to what the primary outsourcing drivers will be for future military and manufacturing outsourcing decisions.

Establishing the groundwork and collaboration are vital to developing the solutions needed for the significant workforce challenges faced by the transportation industry. A key part of the mission is to attract women to the traditionally male-dominated transportation profession.

Kelvin Miller, an equipment and mobility readiness spare parts allocation supervisor with the military contractor DynCorp International, manages inventory and gets it ready to deploy when the time comes.

A new study determines the top 15 undergraduate and graduate supply chain management programs in the United States, based on the teaching of technology, software, and quantitative tools used by supply chain professionals, as well as the variety and depth of this coursework.

U.S. beef supply chain participants form partnership to improve sustainability; Manufacturers and retailers fail to adopt best-in-class processes and technology to address global complexities; Online retailers need to rethink how they align their distribution networks; Spot market rates dip seasonally as West Coast volumes catch up; Staples and Syracuse University partner to drive new research and innovation.

North America’s manufacturing sector is on an upward trajectory. However, a shortage of young talent, compounded by Baby Boomers’ negative perceptions about Millennials, could impact its continued expansion, according to ThomasNet’s latest Industry Market Barometer® (IMB) research.

Internships in supply chain and logistics organizations help students to evaluate the company’s nature, culture, work environment and career advancement opportunities, writes University of San Diego MBA candidate Sweta Ashwarya.

Logistics professionals seeking to become supply chain executives can gain insight from the perspectives of four logistics experts, who share their knowledge about the skills and experience needed to climb the logistics career ladder.

Education providers are introducing supply chain education programs to prepare students to be the logistics and transportation executives of the future, writes Juan D. Morales of Stanton Chase International.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects increases in both employment growth and replacement needs within transportation and logistics occupations. Educational programs assist in filling these job openings with a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, writes Dr. Jennifer S. Batchelor, Program Director, Transportation and Logistics Management, American Public University System.

For Michael Smyers, associate director, logistics, at chemical and transportation fuel products manufacturer Amyris in Emeryville, Calif., the formula for a successful career relies on continuing education.

The annual Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) conference features supply chain best practices and logistics trends such as predictive analysis, partnerships, green initiatives, and career paths for logistics professionals.

By managing supply chain interdependencies and adopting a full view of service and cost, supply chain executives can amplify their organizational scope and heighten their financial contribution to attain the C-designation they deserve, writes Terry Harris, Chicago Consulting.

John Snider, vice president of retail logistics at Do it Best Corp. in Fort Wayne, Indiana, manages the company’s warehousing, and inbound and outbound transportation. Teamwork and communication play a major role in his management strategy.

Don Riley, executive vice president of supply chain and technology at Denver, Colo.-based building materials supplier ProBuild Holdings, faces recessionary challenges by building the right organizational model and relationships – from suppliers to customers – to support the company today and into the future.

Recently retired from a 40-year career with less-than-truckload carrier ABF, former president and CEO Wes Kemp shares his insights on the transportation industry, trucking regulation, and the importance of logistics and supply chain education.

With companies intent on optimizing the supply chain, purchasing managers have emerged as key players in the business plan. To be successful, they need to communicate, collaborate, and venture into new territory.

Companies responsible for shipping or carrying dangerous goods need qualified hazardous materials professionals, writes Anne Barry, Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles. The Blueprint for Success initiative strives to elevate recognition of the critical function performed by these experts.

Angela Duesterhaus, logistics and export compliance manager at PAS Technologies in North Kansas City, Mo., talks about her recent projects and describes how a disappointment in a previous job taught her a valuable lesson.

Jennifer Burkhardt, transportation manager of the specialty coffee business at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, takes charge of all movements into and out of the company’s manufacturing and distribution sites.

Pursuing continuing education — through an abundance of choices that includes classroom work, certification, or online courses — helps logistics professionals enhance their job performance and get ahead.

Blended continuing education programs combine online and classroom instruction to give students the best of both worlds, writes Dr. Carol Nappholz of the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver.

Inbound Logistics goes behind the scenes of a five-month pursuit to move the U.S. military from Iraq to Afghanistan with Brigadier General John O’Connor, director of logistics, Third Army, and commanding general of the Army Materiel Command.

A mentor's advice and attention can make a world of difference to professionals trying to rise to the top of the logistics field. Here's how three companies in the industry help their employees scale new heights.

As director of logistics at Regal Wine Company, Kathy Zepaltas consolidated her company's logistics operations and transitioned from an insufficient warehouse to an ultra-efficient 650,000-square-foot DC.

American Trucking Associations opened the application window for its premier industry leadership initiative, LEAD ATA. The program is searching for diverse trucking industry leaders looking to grow their careers and meet other ambitious trucking professionals.

As professional logisticians and supply chain managers, we are in a unique position to assist military service members transition into jobs in the supply chain sector. Here's why it's critical to help them and how to do it.

Organizations looking to optimize supply chain and logistics functions should be on the lookout – there will be shifting demand for supply chain and logistics talent within the next decade. Here’s how to prepare.

New technologies, consumer demands, and the rise of the mobile workforce are shifting the business landscape quickly, and specialized workers in supply chain and logistics are more valuable than ever. Use these tips to plan and attract the industry’s future leaders.